Board of Visitors approves 3 percent tuition increase

The Citadel Board of Visitors today approved a 3 percent increase in mandatory tuition and fees for in- and out-of-state students enrolled in the South Carolina Corps of Cadets and The Citadel Graduate College.

"With state appropriations stabilized at lower levels than before the recession, we are adapting to a 'new normal,' which requires us to identify more efficient ways to operate and secure new sources of revenue. A tuition increase is part of that blend of revenues," said Thomas J. Elzey, executive vice president for finance, administration and operations.

The increase, which is effective for the 2013-2014 academic year, also includes increases in the cost of technology improvements, food and the college's leadership development program. It also supports hiring professors for mechanical engineering, the School of Business Administration and the newly created Department of Criminal Justice.

"We face a balancing act – keep costs as low as possible without undermining the integrity of a Citadel education. This tuition increase will help fund The Citadel's strategic priorities that will ensure we provide the academic and leadership experience our students, families and alumni expect," said Elzey.

Bills for the 2013-2014 academic year will be distributed in July. State mandatory tuition and fees will increase from $10,523 to $10,838 for in-state cadets and from $28,776 to $29,639 out-of-state cadets. Graduate student tuition and fees would increase on a per credit hour basis as follows:

$510 to $525 a credit hour for in-state graduate students

$840 to $865 a credit our for out-of-state graduate students

Evening undergraduate student tuition and fees would increase on a per credit hour basis as follows:

$410 to $422 a credit hour for in-state evening undergraduate students

$743 to $765 a credit hour for out-of-state evening undergraduate students

To help our parents prepare, The Citadel provides what is called the 'all-in' costs for the Corps of Cadets. It represents a total cost parents can expect to pay for all college-related expenses.

This is unique to The Citadel and includes such things as room, board, laundry/dry cleaning, infirmary use and costs for uniforms, books and living expenses like haircuts and toiletries. These are mandatory costs because all cadets are required to live on campus and all cadets are required to purchase their uniforms during freshman year. And because cadets do not leave campus as often as other college students do, certain services like an infirmary and laundry and dry cleaning are provided on campus.

The "all-in" cost represents an average total cost increase of 2.8 percent for in-state cadets and 2.9 percent for out-of-state cadets.